I have always known that I wanted to continue our family farming legacy. Life on our diverse, intergenerational farm profoundly shaped who I am, my values, and my understanding of the interconnectedness of life.

When I was ten, the farm changed significantly after a tragic accident. Soon after my dad sold off all the livestock and narrowed the focus to corn and soybeans. I was not encouraged to pursue farming as a career, so I took a different path. I also assumed it would be decades before my Dad would retire. Instead, my parents passed, one after the other, in their early seventies. When my parents passed, I was not prepared.

Our parents had little time to prepare for succession, and as a result left no direction about what to do with the farm. It was tricky because I was the executor and the only one that wanted to retain the farm. I worked feverishly for more than two years to manage the estate and farm, explore my farming options, all while I continued to work and raise a young son. Through all of this I came to realize that I would rather try and fail at farming than not try at all. So, I continued conversations with my siblings to find a fair way to divide up the estate.